BlackBerry Thumbs Beware of The Xtensor

By Joanna Stern | Jul 23, 2008 04:14 PM EST

Do you suffer BlackBerry thumbs or textingitis? Is your wrist aching from constant mouse and keyboard use? The Xtensor has the geek relief you need. Excuse the infomercial-sounding introduction, but it was just too good to resist. The Xtensor, or the Fingermaster, as we are calling it internally, arrived in our offices yesterday. The “exercise device” is supposed to help people recover from BlackBerry thumb or other wrist or hand injuries, and it both strengthens and rehabilitates. This Terminator-esque contraption straps around the wrist, while individual rubber strings slide onto fingertips to provide resistance. We could describe the glove for hours, but we suggest you check out our “exercise ” video below to see it in action. The Xtensor—like your type-happy fingers—comes at a cost. $39.95, to be exact. Has our workout video convinced you to buy one? [flq:0267962edc03469abd0bf676a039fc9d]

Unless things have changed since I had hand problems several years ago, there are not any muscles in your hand. Muscles in your forearm, via tendons, flex everything in your hand. This device looks interesting as it mimics some of the exercises I was doing to help my hands when I was having problems.

While the Xtensor is great in concept, its execution leaves much to be desired: the bands snap frequently and they have a very hard time remaining in place when they aren’t breaking. It’s also disturbing that the manufacturers website is completely lacking any contact section. You can reach them, but you’ll have to dig through every page of their site in order to do so, which I did. Oh, and their method for extending the life of the bands?; pre-stretching. So let me get this straight; in order to keep the bands from breaking when you stretch them all that you need to do is PRE stretch them – got it! Lastly, while the product’s design is well suited for those suffering from tendonitis is spot-on, their claims of increasing grip strength for golfers and/or tennis players is laughable. How could it be that extending my fingers out will increase their strength for squeezing my fingers in while gripping a club or racket? Bottom line? If you buy one of these make sure to also purchase PLENTY of extra bands as they will be snapping daily, and don’t expect your grip strength to improve any time soon but your sore elbow may feel better in a few weeks.